Western Governors University Launches New Master's Degree for Teachers

Online university introduces Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction; scholarships available

SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Western Governors University's NCATE-accredited Teachers College is now offering a new degree program created for licensed teachers, the M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction. The new program is designed to help educators improve design of curriculum and instruction through the use of empirical educational research. To help introduce this new degree program, WGU has announced the Master's in Curriculum and Instruction Scholarship, a competitive scholarship program valued at up to $2,000.

This new degree program teaches teachers to develop, implement, and evaluate teaching and learning methodologies and help them acquire the skills and credential to become pedagogical and curricular leaders. It focuses on two areas of study: curriculum and instruction and research fundamentals. Like all WGU degree programs, the M.S. in Curriculum and Instructions is online and competency-based. Students progress by demonstrating their knowledge, or "competency," in each course. This learning model allows students to move quickly through subjects they already know while they focus on the things they still need to learn. Learning resources, which consist of textbooks, webinars, and interactive simulations, are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so students can schedule their studies to fit their busy lives.

The WGU M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction is a rigorous and challenging program designed for motivated, independent learners. Students should be prepared to devote about 20 hours per week to their studies. For more information about the program, go to http://www.wgu.edu/msci.

To be eligible for the Master's in Curriculum and Instruction Scholarship, students must complete an application for admission, submit official transcripts showing completion of a bachelor's degree and present a current, valid teaching credential. Scholarships will be awarded at the rate of $500 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms. Multiple scholarships will be awarded, but this is a competitive scholarship and recipients will be selected based on their academic record, readiness for online study, and an interview with a WGU scholarship counselor. Details regarding the scholarship can be found at http://www.wgu.edu/mscischolarship.

Through the National Education Association (NEA) Academy, NEA members are eligible for a 5% discount on tuition and waiver of WGU's application fee. For more information about benefits for NEA members, go to http://www.wgu.edu/landing/nea.

About WGU

"[WGU is] the best relatively cheap university you've never heard of."– TIME magazine

Featured on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, WGU is the only university in the U.S. offering competency-based degree programs and the only non-profit, fully online university with students in all 50 states. WGU offers 50 degree programs in Business, Education, Information Technology, and Healthcare Professions, including Nursing. Since its inception in 1997, WGU has grown into a national institution, serving nearly 24,000 students. WGU is self-sustaining on tuition, and does not rely on state or national support to fund its operations.  

On June 11, 2010, WGU Indiana, referred to by Governor Mitch Daniels as Indiana's eighth state university, was formed through a partnership with the state. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Western Governors University, WGU Indiana is open to all qualified Indiana residents, and its degree programs are accredited through Western Governors University.

WGU is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). WGU nursing programs have been accredited by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and its B.S. in Health Informatics is accredited by CAHIIM (Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education). WGU's Teachers College is the first and only exclusively online provider of teacher education to receive accreditation for its degree programs that lead to teacher licensure from NCATE, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.

The university has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations. They include institutions such as AT&T, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dell, Lilly Endowment, HCA, Hewlett-Packard, Lumina Foundation, Microsoft, Oracle, Qwest, SunGard Higher Education, and Zions Bank. More information is available at www.wgu.edu.

Contact for media inquiries: Joan Mitchell – Director of PR, +1-801-428-5463, [email protected]

Contact for enrollment information: 866-225-5948, www.wgu.edu

SOURCE Western Governors University